Dave’s Football Blog

Remember during the offseason when all the pundits were saying that the Pittsburgh Steelers didn’t really need Antwaan Randle El? I mean, he only caught 35 passes last year, and he only scored 8 touchdowns in four years. Sure, he was fast, and he was useful for trick plays, but it wasn’t like he couldn’t be replaced, right?

Tell me the truth, Steelers fans. You’d give up a pretty high draft pick to get Randle El back in Pittsburgh right now, wouldn’t you?

Think about it. Randle El gives you a veteran punt returner, one who’s far less likely to make the mistakes that Ricardo Colclough and Santonio Holmes have made this year. Randle El gives you a veteran third receiver who runs fast, runs clean routes, and knows how to get open down the field. Randle El gives you a threat to gain huge yardage on reverse plays, either with his feet or with his arm.

Oh, yeah, and he can also throw the ball with a little accuracy, something a certain Miami of Ohio alumnus did not do last Sunday.

I think too many people looked at Randle El’s numbers and began to undervalue his contributions to this Steelers team the last four seasons. Randle El isn’t just another receiver. He’s a pro on special teams, and he’s a threat to gain big yardage just about any time. He’s a YACrabbit, and every team needs a YACrabbit.

I admit I’m a little biased here, since I, too, attended Indiana University, but you show me a Steelers fan right now who has witnessed the disaster that is Pittsburgh’s special teams unit and not wished at least once that Randle El was still back there fielding punts. Take away Colclough’s fumble, and the outcome of that Steelers-Bengals game might have been a lot different.

Maybe Daniel Snyder can be convinced to trade Randle El back to the Steelers during the offseason. Given that this team is on pace to get a really high draft pick, Randle El’s salary will probably be a lot cheaper. And we know how the Rooneys like to save their money…